Away From the Sun
by Batsutousai
Summary: Sequel to Miracles From Realms Beyond. The one time Tony saved Loki.


**Title:** _Away From the Sun  
_**Fandom:** Marvel (movie 'verse)  
**Author:** Batsutousai  
**Beta:** Shara Lunison  
**Rating:** T  
**Pairings:** Tony Stark/Loki Odinson(Laufeyson), mentioned Tony Stark/Pepper Potts  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for _The Avengers_ (2012), AU, mind control, angst  
**Summary:** Sequel to _Miracles From Realms Beyond_. The one time Tony saved Loki.

**Disclaim Her:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Marvel. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**A/N:** Sequel to _Miracles From Realms Beyond_. Because everyone ever was like, 'Sequel? *puppy/kitten/adorable fluffy animal eyes*' And I had sufficient ideas and a disinterest in packing, so...

Unlike _Miracles_, this fic does **not** follow just one POV. It, in fact, jumps between Tony and Loki a few times, because I needed to show both sides of this film, needed to show why they reacted like they did, in spite of my changed pre-films.  
On that note, this fic doesn't _completely_ hold to the canon of _The Avengers_; it goes a bit AU during the final battle.

-Loki-

Thanos saw all with but a glance. He saw Loki's hopelessness, his fear for his mortal, his need to have Tony forever at his side, and he promised, "You can have him, can protect him forever if you do me one boon."

"Anything," Loki breathed, his tattered cape dancing against the lack of wind in this dead place and his back prickling from the empty gazes of the Chitauri.

"There is an object on your Midgard that I would have," Thanos said. "Bring it to me, and Midgard is yours. Forever."

Loki liked the sound of that, liked the idea of ruling Tony's world and keeping his mortal safe, keeping all of Tony's friends safe. And if he had Midgard, if he claimed it as his own, his realm to protect as Odin did Asgard, no one could interfere. They would be safe. _Tony_ would be safe. "Tell me your wish, and it will be yours."

Thanos uncovered a sceptre and held it out to Loki. The blue gem at the top was hypnotic and Loki couldn't help but stare into it, blue like Midgard's sky, beautiful like Tony's smile.

"Bring me the Tesseract, little god," Thanos whispered. "Bring me that, and Midgard is yours."

"Yes," Loki breathed, taking the sceptre and brushing his fingers against the gem. He would get Thanos his toy, and then he would have Tony, his Tony, and they would rule Midgard together, as was their right.

Loki's eyes glinted blue.

-Tony-

Tony rattled his fingers against the arc reactor as he stared over the array of images. Loki had been gone again for nearly a year and a half, had missed the brilliance that had saved Tony's life, and it was jarring, now, to see his lover's face on the security footage from SHIELD. Because Loki had stolen some sort of artefact, some sort of power source, and it haunted Tony, that look of hatred and violence across his lover's face. Was this his Loki, his guardian angel, the man that no one but Happy knew existed?

"What happened to you?" Tony whispered, brushing his fingers against the picture.

This violence, this murder... This wasn't Loki's style. Mischief, chaos, protecting Tony – _those_ were things Loki did. Hiding, not showing his face to any but Tony, was to his preference. This was too big, too obvious, and it was wrong, wrong, wrong.

And Tony didn't know why.

"Loki..." Tony breathed and closed his eyes. "Love, what–?"

But he couldn't continue, couldn't keep asking answers of an empty room. He wished for Loki's presence at his side, his magic crackling comfortably against his skin. He wanted icy feet tangled up in his, kisses pressed to his forehead, the promise of his return; Loki was the one that always came back, that never refused Tony when he truly needed him there. And, maybe, sometimes, Tony had wished for him, but he understood rules, understood fathers who stood there and watched, only caring when you acted out. And he was okay with Loki not always around, because at least he knew Loki would _return_.

Pepper...Pepper was wonderful, was a comfort in her unending support, but she wasn't Loki. Tony loved her, in his own way, but he knew – had always known, from the moment they met – that if Loki came for him, if Loki found cause to stay, Tony would choose the god over Pepper, over Obie, over everyone. Because Loki had been there before all of them, when Tony had needed someone and there'd been no one else. Loki had been there when Tony had lost everything, after Tony had given up, and he'd put Tony back together

Tony looked at Loki's picture again, the violence in his stance, and he hurt for the god, for whatever had happened that made Loki so _wrong_.

And Tony determined it was his turn to save Loki, to put the god back together, no matter the cost.

-Tony-

It had been a shock to be back in Loki's presence. Not because it was Loki, or because he was still _wrong_, but because the comforting prickle of his magic, the way Tony had always known he was there, was _missing_.

Tony clenched and unclenched his hand, as if he only needed to flex his muscles to feel it again, but nothing came, nothing happened, and it was all wrong, wrong, _wrong_.

Tony stared down at his lover, seated oh-so-calmly in the plane on the way back to the helicarrier. _What's happened to you?_ he wanted to ask. But this was a discussion for a time when SHIELD's pretty spy wasn't in range, when the good Captain Rogers wasn't waffling between frowning at Tony and glaring at Loki.

And then another god crashed the party and Tony jumped after him to get Loki back. Not for the Tesseract, but for what was _his_.

-Loki-

It had been a surprise to see his Tony working with SHIELD. Barton had mentioned a rich boy who acted the hero while hiding behind a metal suit and answered to Iron Man, but Loki hadn't connected anything until Tony's favourite song blared through the speakers everywhere and he landed in front of Loki, chest glowing with the light of an arc reactor.

Tony, his Tony... Loki could never harm his mortal, and he hoped Barton had found the time he'd needed, had collected the object Selvig needed to open the portal and call the Chitauri through. Thanos had promised the drones would make only minor damages, would take the Tesseract and go. And, seeing Tony with his enemies, Loki hoped so; he somehow doubted Thanos would be well-pleased if Loki let everything fall to pieces because of Tony. (Loki would protect Tony from the backlash, of course, but he would still rather for everything to go smoothly.)

Thor came to visit Loki in the Hulk's cage, as did Barton's woman. Captain America walked in and glared at Loki for a long moment, and Fury came by twice more, probing for information, only for Loki to laugh in his face.

Tony never came.

Loki wrapped his anger around himself – Loki was a _god_! How _dare_ that fool mortal ignore him! – so he couldn't feel the sinking in his heart, the bile against his throat. Because Tony was still good, was still willing to let someone live to face the law, unless they'd personally wronged him. And Loki hoped Tony could forgive him for the deaths he brought to SHIELD, needed his mortal to understand that this was for _him_, that no one else mattered so long as Tony was safe.

-Tony-

Tony didn't understand. He stared blankly at the blood spot that marked Coulson's place of death and there was bile climbing his throat, tears burning his eyes.

_Why, why why?_ his mind chanted, and, _Wrong, wrong, wrong._

_Loki, what happened to you?_

He knew something of it, now, had caught Thor – and since when had Loki had a brother? How much else didn't Tony know? – for a quick lesson in current Asgardian affairs, and he hurt for his lover, for the god that had turned out to be all he hated, all he despised and would see dead.

But it still felt wrong. This much destruction, these many deaths, this _diva attitude_... This wasn't Loki, wasn't at all the man Tony loved. He'd watched through the monitors as Loki had taunted Fury, had snarled at Thor, had been taken down by a dying Coulson...

_Wrong, wrong, wrong._

Why was he the only one who noticed? Thor kept saying 'Let's go home,' and 'End this madness,' and was it madness? Would going back to Asgard, to lies upon lies and hatred upon hatred do any good for Loki, already wounded as he was. Tony thought Loki needed to stay on Earth, stay with someone who loved him in spite of everything, who didn't care for his race.

But how do you tell a man with at least a head on you in height, who wielded lightning like it was a toy and swung one fucking _heavy_ hammer, that you loved his younger brother? How would Tony even _approach_ that conversation? On the helicarrier, no less, with SHIELD personal around every corner?

Tony wasn't afraid of SHIELD, didn't care if they knew he loved Loki, but he wouldn't be taken off the mission, wouldn't be pulled away and lose the chance to save his lover like Loki had so oft saved him.

Because he knew, now, that _someone_ had to save Loki, because he was hurting. And Tony was the only one who could see it.

-Loki-

"Loki," JARVIS said when Loki stepped into Tony's new home.

Loki wrinkled his nose at the large bar set against one wall – he hated the habit in Thor, hated it even more in Tony, but at least Tony had learned _moderation_, unlike Thor. "Good day, JARVIS," he replied to the AI. Because it wouldn't do well to alienate Tony's home.

"Sir would like to have a word," JARVIS announced and Loki turned towards the large windows, towards where he knew the helicarrier lay. Assuming it hadn't fallen into the sea. (Loki trusted that Tony knew how to fix the mechanical beast, trusted his mortal to save those other fool mortals that meant _nothing_.)

"Would he indeed?" Loki murmured in response, grasping tight to his anger at Tony not coming to him on the helicarrier, and settled comfortably on the arm of a couch to wait.

Tony landed with a wobble, outside, and moved slowly inside, his machines removing his damaged armour, and Loki wanted to hit Thor for the damage to _his_ mortal, wanted to pull Tony close and check him own, make sure he was okay. And Tony was smiling as he walked closer, so welcoming, and Loki's anger drained away as he smiled back.

Tony shoved Loki as soon as he reached him, sending the surprised god falling back over the arm and sprawling against the cushions. And Tony wasn't smiling any more, was glaring out from behind angry brown eyes. "What. The actual. Fuck?" Tony demanded before turning away. "I need a drink."

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Loki snarled, scrambling to his feet and grabbing at Tony's shoulder, but Tony evaded him, shot a glare of poison over his shoulder, and Loki stumbled, his throat clenching.

Tony finished the trip to his bar and poured himself a couple fingers with hands that shook. He took a long gulp, then leaned forward against the bar and frowned at Loki. "What's going on here, Loki? Why all the killing and the stealing and–?"

"For you," Loki said, half pleading.

Tony blinked, expression blank. "For–? The _fuck_. Is this– Is this some sort of god thing? Is it, like, St Valentine's Day or something, and I missed the memo? You're gonna wreck my planet as a– what? Courting gift?"

"No. No, no, no," Loki breathed, shaking his head and taking half a step forward before Tony's glare stopped him. "The Tesseract. I have to get it back to him, open the way for the Chitauri to collect it, and then you'll be safe. I'll stay here, keep you safe from everyone–"

"And yourself?" Tony snarled. "Are you going to keep me safe from _yourself_? Or should I just get my suit and–?"

"I would _never_ hurt you!" Loki screamed, and he wouldn't, would rip out his own _heart_ before hurting Tony–

"You killed one of my _friends_," Tony spat, leaving his glass and stalking around the bar. "You're bringing a fucking _army_ down on _my_ planet–"

"They won't hurt you, won't hurt anyone–"

"That's not what your brother said," Tony replied, voice like a coiled serpent, knowing just where to strike his blows for maximum effect, and Loki took a pained step back, because _how could Tony be listening to __**Thor**_? "He said they'll destroy everything, that you're opening the path to _all_ our doom–"

"No!" Loki shouted, denied, and he took a step forward. "_I_ control them! I would never–"

"_You already have_!" Tony roared, in Loki's face.

And Loki didn't think, didn't consider the consequences, he just shoved Tony away, needed the space.

The sound of glass shattering drew his eyes to where Tony had hit the large glass windows, surprise and resignation in his eyes, and Loki reached out towards him, screaming, "_Tony_!"

His magic didn't answer his call, didn't grab at his falling mortal, but Tony hadn't been unprepared and a new suit flew after him, curling around his body and protected him where Loki couldn't. And Loki breathed in relief even as he wanted to beat himself, wanted to hurt himself for even that momentary slip. How could he have harmed Tony? How could he have–?

Tony floated up in front of him, face hidden behind his mask. Above them, the sky crackled with energy as the portal opened. "Excuse me as I clean up your mess," Tony's voice said through the speakers, mechanical and so impersonal. And he flew up and out of sight while Loki reached for him, needed to pull him in for safety. Because if Tony went up there, if Tony engaged the Chitauri–

_'Don't hurt the red and gold one!'_ he screamed through the mind link that connected him to the army. _'Don't touch him, he is __**mine**__!'_

But the Chitauri didn't listen, didn't stop firing on Tony, and Loki was stopped from further punishing them by Thor landing outside, eyes hard.

-Loki-

Loki was left feeling muddled and confused by the retreating Hulk. Everything hurt, but it was so _clear_. And there, in the back of his mind, was the hum of his spell on Tony, whispering _danger, danger, always danger_. Loki hadn't even realised it had been gone.

_What did Thanos do to me?_ he wondered. And now he could look back with a clear head, he saw how wrong he'd acted, saw why Tony had been so _furious_ with him, and Loki hated himself. Decades of protecting his mortal thrown away in a moment of madness.

"What have I done?" Loki whispered to the broken room before pushing himself up, wincing at his aches. But he needed to see the damage, needed to try and help. Because Tony was still out there. Tony was fighting–

_DEATH!_ Loki's spell screamed and he doubled over, grasping at his chest from the echo of pain.

"Tony," Loki gasped, stumbling to the broken windows and looking out, trying to see him, needing to help, because Tony _couldn't_ be dead, he _couldn't_. Loki's actions couldn't have destroyed the only good thing in his life.

There, falling from the closed portal, was a red and gold form. And Loki already knew something was wrong, could feel Tony's death creeping ever closer, like the shrapnel that circled his heart.

_The arc reactor,_ Loki realised. _It powers the suit, powers __**Tony**__. If it broke– __**No**__!_

Loki's magic wrapped around him and brought him to Tony in the air, got them both safely to the ground. The glow in his chest wasn't working and Loki pressed his hands against the cover. "No, no, no," he whispered, directing his magic to keep the shrapnel back and jump-start the arc reactor. "You can't– Don't you _dare_ die on me!" he screamed to the still form. And then, quieter, more helpless and broken, "Tony, _please_. Please, you can't leave me. _Please_."

-Tony-

Tony surfaced with a gasp and found Loki above him, whispering pleas as tears ran from his eyes. And Loki's magic crackled against Tony's skin, around his heart, and it was okay, because Loki was _back_.

"Loki," he whispered.

Green eyes jerked up and met Tony's through the visor. Loki ripped the damn thing away, and there was still fear in his eyes, behind the relief, and his shoulders relaxed a bit. "_Tony_," he breathed.

Tony literally _felt_ the arc reactor jump to life in his chest, humming in sync with Loki's magic, and the god sort of dropped against Tony's chest, gasping out tears of relief between whispered, "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry."

Tony brought up his weighted arms with quite some difficulty to curl around Loki. "It's okay," he whispered back. "You're okay now."

"You're the mortal," Thor rumbled from somewhere above them and Tony cocked his head awkwardly to see around what was left of his helmet. Surprise had eased the anger lining the older god's face, had eased the anger in _everyone's_ faces, though only Thor seemed to have any inkling about why their enemy had been so desperate to save Tony's life.

Loki had tensed against Tony's suit, reminded that they weren't alone, that these people had every reason in the Realms to see him dead, but Tony just nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly, "that's me." Then, to Rogers and Barton's confused frowns, he explained, "Loki and I have been...a _thing_, I guess, for...a long time. Over twenty years."

"I may be sick," Barton muttered, turning away with a grimace.

"You couldn't have mentioned this _before_?" Rogers demanded.

"Oh, _that_ would have gone over well," Tony snarked. "I can just see it now: Me, sitting at the table in the helicarrier and saying, 'Oh, by the way, I love the guy who's sitting in the cell block and would anyone mind if we had a quick fuck while the computers are tracking the Tesseract?' Yeah, _no_. I would have been pulled and cast in chains without passing go."

Rogers grimaced. "It would have been good information to have," he insisted. "We knew Thor had a relation."

"Thor has a hammer that no one else can pick up and he can call from anywhere," Tony returned. "No one was going to tell him, 'You go on home, we got this.' But me, if I don't have my suit, I'm just human. They lock me in a cell, that's where I'm going to stay."

"Liar," Loki murmured, and it seemed he'd stopped crying now. He stilled looked a little raw, Tony thought, but he was pulling himself back together.

Tony's lips twitched. "Okay. So if there are any panels I can pry off to get at the door controls, I'm not staying anywhere, but I think Fury knows that much about me." He shook his head. "Help me up?"

Loki's brow furrowed, concern in his eyes, but he nodded and helped Tony climb to his feet against the weight of the suit. When Tony stumbled, Loki caught him and held him steady. "Perhaps you would do best not to sta–"

"Shut up," Tony ordered and pressed a kiss to Loki's mouth to ensure his silence. Barton made loud gagging sounds in the background for a moment before Thor or Rogers shut him up, and Loki's lips curled with a smile against Tony's own. "Hi," Tony said when they drifted apart. He wanted to say 'I love you', and 'I missed you while you were gone', but Loki already knew all that, and the god's magic sparkling along his skin in the way it did just before he healed something reminded Tony of its earlier lack and he asked, "You better now? No more armies or mindless killings?"

Sorrow and self-disgust flashed in Loki's eyes. "I am more in control of myself," he agreed quietly.

"What is this, then?" Thor demanded, taking a step forward, and Rogers looked up from where he was draping Thor's removed cape around Bruce's shoulders.

Loki glanced towards Thor, then back at Tony, uncertainty in the turn of his mouth, and Tony tried to radiate calm and the promise of security that Loki was usually the one to provide. Loki's lips quirked in understanding and gratitude before he explained, "As I had held control over Agent Barton and Doctor Selvig, control was held over me."

"Who would dare–?!" Thor demanded.

"The Mad Titan," Loki replied and Thor fell still.

"That's a bad thing?" Rogers guessed.

"It is," Thor agreed grimly. "I have need to return home and warn our father–"

"_Your_ father," Loki snarled.

"_Our_ father," Thor insisted and Tony kissed the corner of Loki's mouth to keep him from starting another fight so soon. "We will stop only to collect the Tesseract, then make all haste to Asgard."

"Uh, wait, no, hold the phone," Tony interrupted.

"Man of Iron?" Thor returned. "You would think to stop us from taking the Tesseract? You know, surely, that it is too dangerous for the hands of mortals."

"I don't care about the Cube, it's all yours," Tony replied. "No, I'm not letting you take _Loki_." Said god tensed against Tony's suit and he squeezed lightly at the hip under his glove.

Thor frowned. "Loki is to return home and face justice for his crimes. Not just amongst your people, but ours and the Jötun, as well."

"That's nice," Tony said with an easy smile. "Good on big daddy for laying down the law upstairs. Tell him, from me, to fuck off."

"You dare–"

"Yeah, I _do_," Tony cut in, dropping the act of humour and shifting so he was between Thor and Loki, meeting the elder god's angry gaze with an unyielding stare of his own. "Look, you people had your chance. You had him for however fucking long it's been and big daddy lied and lied and lied. And, no, you can't have him back. Loki attacked _my_ planet, ruined _my_ living room, threw _me_ out a window, and I'm saying he _stays_. He's going to help repair all this damage and he's going to visit the wounded in the hospitals and _he. Is staying. Here_," Tony finished.

Thor met his stare for a long moment before he relaxed back and smiled. "I am glad, Brother," he said to Loki, "that it is Tony Stark you had found."

_"This is all very sunshine and rainbows,"_ Fury said over the speaker in Tony's helmet, and Tony had forgotten that the comm to the director would have booted back up with JARVIS' systems, _"but if we're claiming damages, I win, Stark. Loki is mi–"_

"JARVIS," Tony interrupted, unconcerned, because he'd planned for this, "is everything completed?"

_"It is indeed, Sir. Shall I activate Project Mischief?"_

"Please do."

"What have you done?" Rogers demanded. "Sta–"

_"Stark, you mother-fucking useless waste of brains!"_ Fury yelled over the comm and Tony smirked, victorious. _"What the fuck have you done to my computers?"_

"I may have uploaded a virus to wipe all your files. Including the ones on the back-up servers, and the back-ups of the back-ups," Tony said, grinning wildly while Bruce and Barton coughed laughter into their hands and Loki cackled behind him. Thor wore an approving grin while Rogers frowned, both understanding enough to know that Tony had just fucked SHIELD sideways. "I _do_ have copies of everything saved, however, which I'm willing to trade for Loki. Deal?"

_"You little shit,"_ Fury rumbled, approval in his tone. _"Fine, keep your psycho; give me back my data."_

"JARVIS."

_"Certainly, Sir,"_ his AI agreed.

_"Smart fuck,"_ Fury muttered, the sound of computers booting up in the background. _"At least you didn't crash my helicarrier."_

"Nah, that's Barton's thing," Tony replied, grinning at the agent in question. Barton scowled back, but didn't really take offence.

"I love you," Loki breathed against Tony's ear and he felt his grin morph into something brighter, something happier than getting one over on Fury could ever produce.

"Oh, Jesus," Barton moaned, turning his back on Tony and Loki, and Tony laughed.

-Loki-

Cleaning the wreckage hadn't been easy, and he'd been spat and cursed at more than once for his actions, but Tony stayed at his side and spoke to the press about mind-control and things beyond the understanding of humanity. Tony forgave him and loved him anyway, listened without judging when Loki finally felt he could explain everything that had occurred on Asgard, everything that had happened that led him to thinking that ruling Earth was the only way he could protect Tony.

And when Tony asked, Loki told him, too, about all the things that he'd never mentioned from his life before; his children and ex-wife, his adopted parents and brothers, what it meant to be a sorcerer amongst people who valued brawn, and the struggles of being the little-trusted Second Prince.

And as Tony had once done with Loki at his side, Loki began to heal while curled against the mortal's side during the long nights and the longer days.

Loki tried not to think of the future over-much. Tried not to remember that he would have to return to Asgard eventually to pay for his many other crimes. Tried to pretend that Tony wouldn't eventually die, leaving Loki with nothing and no one but his own demons.

" 'Forever is composed of nows'," Tony said when Loki mentioned his fears.

"Emily Dickinson," JARVIS added.

"Smart woman," Tony said and smiled.

So Loki held onto his present, because so long as Tony was there, he could pretend he always would be. Because he could wait to mourn, would have centuries alone to wish he'd spent more time with Tony when he had the chance. Any maybe it would never be enough time, but Loki took what he could and played pranks on Tony's friends, worked magic into SHIELD's computer systems to make everything misbehave at inopportune moments, made important items invisible when Barton or Pepper Potts was looking for them, and breathed curses against Tony's mechanical heart in the dark while Tony fucked into him slow and gentle, everything Loki had never known he'd needed.

They had a blessing in Jötunheim: _May you be happy in the sun, and treasure every drop of warmth after it is gone._

-0-

-0-0-0-

**A/N:** Loki, love, we've talked about the angst-fest.

I'm not intending to write a sequel to this sequel, but if a bunny hops by that would better fit in this universe than in Shattered Glass, I might add it. (There's no real way to tell on FFN, but I group series together on AO3, and tag them on LJ. So, more a note for that lot, rather than the FFN crowd.)  
Eh, the future will bring what it will.

~Bats ^.^x

..


End file.
